What’S Wrong With Just Eating His Majesty’S Soft Rice? Chapter 12
byChapter 12: It’s Almost Over
Fang Cheng felt a stir in his heart, but he feigned disdain. “What’s this? You earned this money yourself. Why are you giving it to me?”
Zhou Yinli’s hand remained steady, holding the money out without a hint of hesitation. “Consider it a debt I owe you. For room and board.”
With that explanation, Fang Cheng’s psychological burden vanished, and he immediately took the cash.
Lin Er frowned and pulled Zhou Yinli to a corner. “Little Zhou, money is just a worldly possession. If you want to give it to Fang Cheng, fine. But you look young and literate—how can you not have a bank card or a phone? At least take some money to buy a phone! That old-school brick phone of yours is totally out! You need a proper phone for social life. Young people need to integrate into society.”
Zhou Yinli listened in silence before asking, “What else is needed… to integrate into society?”
Lin Er slapped his thigh. “A ton of things! You need to socialize! Learn! Get online! Make money! Reach the pinnacle of life!”
Zhou Yinli looked thoughtful.
Lin Er continued, “What were you thinking, giving him all your money? I mean, giving it to him is better than giving it to a stranger. He’s the type who remembers when people are good to him. If you’re good to him, he’ll be even better to you. But my point is, don’t be too good to him. If you are, he’ll start taking a mile if you give him an inch!”
He rambled on incoherently for a while, alternating between scolding Fang Cheng and praising him.
Zhou Yinli listened quietly until he finished. “Thank you.”
Lin Er watched him for a moment, satisfied with his attitude. It seemed he and Fang Cheng weren’t enemies. He chatted a bit more about Fang Cheng’s past before letting him go, telling them to head back and reminding them they had to attend the wrap party tomorrow.
While they were talking, Fang Cheng sat nearby counting the money. This money was supposed to be his anyway, but receiving it this way felt strangely awkward.
Because it had passed through Zhou Yinli’s hands, the nature of the transaction had changed, even if the end result was the same.
It felt like recovering something lost. Usually, that would be a happy occasion, but Fang Cheng didn’t feel much joy. The money felt like it was burning a hole in his hand.
Despite the awkwardness of holding the cash, he didn’t forget to remind Lin Er—who had walked back over—about the remaining 250 yuan referral fee from last time. Lin Er grumbled and cursed but eventually transferred the money.
Once the transfer arrived, Fang Cheng felt a bit better, though the heavy five thousand in his pocket still felt weird. After a moment’s thought, he pulled out two bills and handed them to Zhou Yinli.
Zhou Yinli took the red banknotes, examining them closely and giving them a pinch, clearly testing the texture of the paper.
His gaze wasn’t that of someone looking at money; it was as if he were researching an artifact.
Fang Cheng was used to this behavior. Combined with his own lingering unease, he explained patiently, “This is money. You can buy things with it. One hundred. Didn’t I teach you numbers? Remember? 1, 0, 0. It means one hundred.”
Zhou Yinli nodded. “How much grain can this buy?”
Fang Cheng was bewildered. “What grain? You mean rice? Probably about thirty pounds?”
Zhou Yinli seemed to do a mental calculation. He gripped the bill and stuffed it into his pocket with a casual gesture, mimicking how Fang Cheng usually stashed things. The movement didn’t match his usual stiff, formal demeanor at all.
Fang Cheng saw right through him—he was imitating him. He let out a snort of laughter.
Zhou Yinli stared at him, his expression softening slightly.
After getting off the bus, they strolled back. They happened to pass the hot pot restaurant from last time, and both remembered what had happened there.
Fang Cheng suddenly asked, “Want to go eat there again?”
Zhou Yinli shook his head. “No need. Let us go home.”
Fang Cheng gave an “oh” and glanced at the shop, feeling a bit strange. Usually, when he got his hands on some cash, he’d spend it on a meal immediately. Now that he had a fortune, he suddenly felt the urge to save it.
However, when they passed a supermarket, Fang Cheng paused.
Zhou Yinli turned to look at him.
Fang Cheng pointed at the store. “Let’s buy some things. There’s nothing left to eat at home.”
Zhou Yinli actually showed some interest in the prospect of shopping. “Let us go look at the rice.”
Fang Cheng had intended to head for the instant noodle aisle—he was used to stockpiling them to ensure he wouldn’t starve when he was broke—but this time, breaking his habit, he bought some rice with Zhou Yinli.
They ended up with eggs, ham sausages, instant noodles, rice, some long-lasting vegetables, and drinks—two large, overflowing bags.
Zhou Yinli followed him, watching him pick items and pay with his phone.
After paying, he heard Zhou Yinli ask, “Could you buy me a phone like yours?”
Fang Cheng glanced at him. “What do you want one for?”
Zhou Yinli replied, “That device can do many things. I recall you can use it to play mahjong, make calls, buy goods, and I seem to have seen much of what is shown on the television through it.”
Fang Cheng asked instinctively, “Your family could get you that whole set of Hanfu, but they didn’t buy you a phone? Did you lose it?”
Zhou Yinli shook his head and fell silent, not mentioning the request again.
As they walked out of the supermarket carrying the bags, Zhou Yinli remained indifferent, showing no intention of helping.
Fang Cheng was annoyed by this lordly attitude. He grumpily shoved half the items into Zhou Yinli’s hands. “You’re something else. You see me carrying all this heavy stuff and don’t even offer to help.”
Zhou Yinli was a bit surprised, but he took the bags. He looked at the other bag in Fang Cheng’s hand and said, “My apologies. Give them all to me.”
That was quite polite.
Fang Cheng waved him off. “As long as you know you were wrong. You have to take the initiative to help next time. I can handle this bag myself.”
Zhou Yinli insisted, “I am stronger than you. Let me.”
Fang Cheng didn’t feel his masculine pride was insulted at all. He immediately handed over the other bag, feeling quite satisfied. He gave Zhou Yinli an appreciative look; the guy was actually quite observant.
He probably never did chores at home, so he didn’t have the awareness to help, but at least he was a quick study. Truly a student worth teaching!
Zhou Yinli carried the two large bags with ease, not even breaking a sweat as they climbed the stairs.
With that kind of physical strength, he really should do more chores.
Once they got home, they ate a simple meal and retreated to their respective territories.
One to the sofa, one to the bedroom.
Zhou Yinli had the TV on while on the sofa, but later he knocked and entered Fang Cheng’s bedroom. Fang Cheng was on the bed playing games and asked what he wanted.
Zhou Yinli pointed to the dusty bookshelf. “There seem to be many books here. May I borrow them to read?”
Fang Cheng didn’t even look up from his phone. “Whatever. You can read them ten times over for all I care.”
Zhou Yinli took it as permission and sat at Fang Cheng’s desk, picking up the books one by one to read.
These were books Fang Cheng’s parents had bought him when he was a kid. Back then, he liked reading, but he had stopped long ago. He just couldn’t bring himself to sell them for scrap.
Now, they were benefiting Zhou Yinli.
Fang Cheng played his games with the sound on, but it didn’t affect Zhou Yinli’s reading at all. Zhou Yinli’s reading style was strange; some books he finished in a few pages, while others he stared at for a long time.
Fang Cheng didn’t know how long he had been reading. He played games until the early hours of the morning, and Zhou Yinli was still there. Fang Cheng was too tired to keep his eyes open, so he told Zhou Yinli to use the desk lamp and went to sleep, waking up the next afternoon. Zhou Yinli was in the exact same position as before he slept, sitting motionless while reading Five Thousand Years of History.
He was so obsessed with TV and books; no wonder his family didn’t give him a phone. If he had one, who knows what would happen!
Fang Cheng rubbed his eyes. Without asking what the other wanted to eat, he ordered takeout, planning to just make do for the meal.
He was going to Lin Er’s place for a big feast tonight anyway, so he couldn’t eat too much now.
Zhou Yinli only paused for a moment to eat. Afterward, he went right back to the desk to read. He was truly forgetting to eat and sleep.
Fang Cheng couldn’t help but remember what his grandmother used to say when he was little: “My grandson is so smart, he just doesn’t apply himself. If he did, he’d definitely get into Tsinghua or Peking University.”
Looking at Zhou Yinli’s focus now, he felt his grandmother had been looking at him through rose-tinted glasses. Even with this much focus, he still wouldn’t have made the cut.
At the appointed time, they arrived at the restaurant Lin Er had booked. Although it was a modest wrap party compared to the grand events of other crews, Lin Er’s ragtag team was happy enough to just eat and drink on his dime.
With the camera crew and some actors, they filled several tables. At first glance, it looked like a wedding banquet.
Even in this noisy, crowded setting, Zhou Yinli maintained his upright posture, making him quite the eye-catcher. Between his long hair tied in a ponytail and his cold, refined features, he looked like a singular, striking piece of scenery.
Fang Cheng, on the other hand, was in his element, socializing like a fish in water. Even as an outsider, he acted more like the center of attention than the lead actors or the director. He chatted with everyone, even teasing the restaurant’s dog. One moment he was playing drinking games at one table, the next he was snagging a bite of food at another, and then he was hugging Lin Er and playfully kissing his cheek. Zhou Yinli watched with a deep frown.
After Fang Cheng finished his rounds, he was still quite sober. He had a good tolerance and was skilled at faking how much he drank.
He leaned in next to Zhou Yinli. Used to his aloof and unsociable behavior, Fang Cheng wasn’t surprised. He nudged him with his elbow. “Is the food here good?”
Zhou Yinli shook his head. “Mediocre. Not as good as your instant noodles.”
Fang Cheng burst out laughing and gave Zhou Yinli a thumbs-up. “You have good taste. I’ve been cooking instant noodles for years. The firmness, the seasoning—it’s all an art. I’ll teach you later.”
Zhou Yinli turned to look at him and, surprisingly, smiled. “Very well.”
After the meal, Lin Er arranged a karaoke session, but not everyone was going to follow. Many had families to consider or other plans; for most, the dinner was enough.
In the end, only Zhang Yi and a few others close to Lin Er raised their hands.
Fang Cheng was in high spirits after all the socializing. Seeing that not many people were following Lin Er, he worried the man might lose face. After a moment’s thought, he grabbed Zhou Yinli and raised his hand to join in, making the group look a bit less sparse.
Besides, it would be good to take this mental patient out for some fun. Once this was over, he’d have to take the guy to the police station tomorrow to find his family.